Solemn Voice
by max7238
Summary: When a young Machop without any knowledge of humans sees his father, a Machoke, captured by Team Rocket, he sets out to rescue his father, no matter the cost. Along the way, he will meet many friends and foes, and learn that it's not just humans that can be evil...
1. Event 0: Opening

Event 0: Opening

* * *

In a warm summer, clouds dotting the sky, a young Machop climbed trees for berries. His single father, a Machoke, was further up the nearby mountain. While his father was away, Machop had decided to look for Wiki berries, a personal favorite, to take home. He wasn't very strong yet, and his father hadn't taught him much about fighting either. After climbing many trees, something he'd grown quite good at, Machop gathered the berries he'd knocked from branches in his arms and headed home. Home, at the moment, was a small thicket in the forest. Machop rounded the bend close to home, his arms full of berries when he was lifted from the ground and thrown through the air. He landed in a heap in the thicket, berries raining down on him. When he poked his head out in anger, he saw his father, a worried look on his face and a hand up to stop him from coming out. Before Machop could saw a word, his father bounded back up toward the mountain, no heed to his surroundings. It was unlike his father to disturb other Pokémon, in any condition.

For a long time the entire forest went silent. Every Pokémon in the area had gone into hiding. It confused Machop, who hadn't seen anything wrong. He piled his berries under a knot of tree roots near home, then made his way in the direction his father had gone. He continued as quietly as he could, listening for his father or any sign of danger. Eventually, Machop began hearing odd voices and felt the ground shaking. Coming over a hill, at the edge of the tree-line, Machop finally saw his father.

"サイドン、行け!" yelled a figure in black and red. Machop didn't understand a word, and had certainly never seen such a Pokémon before. The smaller black and red one was commanding a Rhydon to attack Machop's father. Rhydon charged forward, deceptively fast for being so large. Machoke endured the tackle, muscles bulging through the slits in his forearms, sliding back through the dirt and sparse grass. Shifting his weight at a pivotal moment, Machoke used the force of the attack to swing Rhydon around behind him, its legs leaving the ground, before spinning it back toward the thing commanding it. Rhydon flew several feet, landing on its stomach and sliding. The move was Vital Throw, yet another thing Machoke hadn't taught Machop yet.

"クソッ! サイドン、ドリルライナー !" commanded the red and black figure, pointing at Machoke.

Rhydon's horn began to rotate and it charged again, lowering its head this time. Machoke waited until the last second, then stepped aside and swept his foot low, tripping Rhydon with Low Kick. Rhydon crashed to the dirt again, both its commander and itself growing very agitated. Machop couldn't help but silently root for his father. He'd never seen any Pokémon take on Rhydon from the mountains, let alone his father.

"立ってろよ、サイドン! じしんアタック!" yelled the commander, gritting its teeth and growing obviously more angry by the second.

Rhydon stood once more, a look of confidence on its face. Machoke realized too late what it intended to do, and was unable to dodge or avoid the following attack. Rhydon slammed its tail into the ground, stomping its feet and crying out. The ground shook, rocks jutting out and slamming into Machoke. Trees were leveled as the entire mountainside was affected by an earthquake. Machop clung to the ground in terror, growing dizzy and shaking from the sudden cries of the forest Pokémon. When Machop finally dared let go of the ground, looking up to see what had become of his father, he saw the impossible happen. The red and black Pokémon threw something at his father, which struck, opened, and swallowed his father into it in a flash of white light.

Machop was awestruck, even driven to tears. Before his eyes, his father had been taken away. Rhydon, in celebration of its victory, caused another earthquake, knocking Machop from where he'd begun to stand and letting him tumble down the mountain. Machop eventually struck a tree and was knocked unconscious. When at last he woke and returned to the site of the battle, there was no sign of his father or his foes. Machop collapsed next to a fallen tree, leaning against it, and remained until sunset when he cried himself to sleep...

* * *

It was the harsh beginning of the young Machop's new life. Though he couldn't know it, he was about to discover the Pokémon world beyond the forest of his childhood, and all for the sake of rescuing his father. For the sake of finding his father, taken away by the Pokémon with a red R symbol on its chest...

* * *

Event 1: New Types coming soon...

* * *

Info:  
Based on Pokémon in general, though I've only kept up until Hoenn, really. Includes game and anime aspects.  
Inspired by W:Wonder Tale by Yukari Tamura.  
Special thanks to Zephyr Ballard for feedback in idea stage.  
Second language featured is Japanese, symbolizing that most Pokémon can't understand human speech...


	2. Event 1: New Types

Event 1: New Types

* * *

"Toward the setting sun, further away than you could ever imagine, passed rivers and forests, and across so much water you will think it has stolen you from the world, there is a huge island. In the smoking mountain on that island, I was born. There is where you can find more of your kind. There is where you become a man. One day, when you're older, we'll go... I promise you'll see it..."

* * *

The words of his father followed Machop to his waking moments, still leaned against a fallen tree. The tree, like many others, had fallen the day before, in a battle at midday between Machop's father and a Rhydon. Machop still remembered the strange Pokémon commanding the Rhydon, the one with an odd red symbol on its chest. Machop lowered his eyes, on the verge of tears again.

"If you cry, cry because it means something. Whining won't get you anywhere, son..."

More of his father's words and warnings. Crying now wouldn't change anything. For that reason alone, Machop stood, climbing over the fallen tree and heading home to the thicket where he and his father had lived for as long as he could remember. Once there, Machop fished out a few of the Wiki berries he'd gathered the day before. He at the dry berries, a taste he'd acquired himself, then picked up one more for the road. No sense in staying here alone. With no way to find his father, Machop had only one course of action before him. With only his father's words and the memory of his kidnapper, Machop decided to seek the endless water, and eventually the smoking mountain. He could ask other Pokémon on the way if they knew the strange one that had stolen his father. Before heading off, Machop headed for the lake. On the way, he finally met the young Mankey that lived nearby.

"Did you feel that earthquake yesterday?!" squawked the odd monkey, up in a tree.

"I saw it," said Machop, looking back down to watch where he was going. He didn't want to talk about it.

"Really?! Does that mean it was from a battle?!"

"Yes."

"Where's your dad?!"

Machop stopped walking.

"Would you shut up? I don't want to talk about it. Jeez..." said Machop, growing annoyed.

Mankey paused, hanging from a branch, following Machop.

"If you're heading to the lake, you should know, Croconaw's at it again," said Mankey.

Machop groaned. Croconaw lived in the lake, and from time to time tried to claim it was all his water. Needless to say, that caused problems for the many Pokémon living in the nearby forest. Normally it was Machop's father who put a stop to it, but he was gone.

"If I try to get him to stop, will you help?" said Machop.

"Well... I guess? But why not just ca-"

"Then let's hurry," interrupted Machop, breaking into a run.

* * *

Rushing from the treeline, Machop saw exactly what Mankey had been talking about. Croconaw was out of the water, snapping at a Mightyena and her children.

"Hey!" yelled out Machop, running over. Mankey hopped along behind him, looking a bit nervous.

"No! No one's touching my water today! Stay out of this," growled the Croconaw in response.

"Aww, come on! There isn't any other water nearby! You can't keep it all! The lake is huge. Why won't you cut it out, already?" countered Machop.

"Because now it really _is_ mine..." said Croconaw, turning away from the Mightyena and approaching Machop. His tone had darkened considerably.

"After all... Your annoying father's _gone_!" yelled Croconaw, his toothy mouth snapping at Machop.

Machop gritted his teeth, clenching his fists. Mankey hopped back in surprise. Several other eavesdropping Pokémon came out of hiding, forming something of a crowd. Many whispered, wondering if it was true. Machoke had been friendly enough, and had always helped settle disputes. He'd been the strongest Pokémon in the forest for years.

"You heard me!" said Croconaw, spinning to face the other Pokémon. "That muscle-head's been captured! A _human_ took him away! With him out of the way, not a single one of you is going to steal my water! And as for _you_," said Croconaw, turning to Machop again.

Croconaw opened his mouth to continue screaming, but his angry yelling was cut off by the fist in his cheek. Machop had punched him, hard, out of sheer frustration. Croconaw straightened, rubbing his bruised face. He growled, slowly louder, then suddenly spat a mud ball at Machop.

"Ahh!?" yelled Machop, the mud getting in his eyes. Croconaw lowered his head, slamming it into Machop's stomach and knocking him over. Croconaw's head alone was half of Machop's total size. Croconaw jumped, stomping on Machop once, both feet slamming into his stomach. Machop cried out again, convulsing. Croconaw jumped off of him, snarling.

"I hope you puke up your breakfast, stupid kid. Get lost! I have other problems to attend to... Hey!" said Croconaw, noticing Mightyena and her puppies drinking from the lake while he was distracted. Machop rolled over, gripping his stomach. He felt like he really _would_ puke. Mankey, meanwhile, was up a nearby tree. Mankey hadn't helped at all. Croconaw flew into a rage at Mightyena, and a fight broke out. At least Mightyena could hold her own. Machop didn't have a chance, and he knew it. Struggling, Machop stood, waited for Croconaw to be looking away, drank enough to satisfy himself but not enough to bloat, and left. Mankey followed him, dropping down to see if he was unhurt.

"Which way does the sun set?" asked Machop.

"What?!" yelped Mankey.

"Where does the sun go down at?"

"Oh! Follow me, I'll show you!" said Mankey, climbing a tree again.

Machop had plenty of practice and quickly followed. Once above the leaves, Mankey pointed.

"See that mountain pass? There's a human city on the other side! That's where the sun sets!"

"Human? Croconaw said that was the Pokémon who took my dad..."

"Pokémon? No, no. Human. Hu-man. They aren't Pokémon!"

"What? Then what are they?"

"Don't ask me! How should I know!? I'm just telling you what I've heard. Be careful around them. I've heard they kidnap Pokémon and force them to work for them."

"Right. Guess that's what happened to my dad... Well, then, I'm leaving."

"Leaving?! Why?! To where?!"

"To the smoking mountain across the endless water..." said Machop, climbing down.

"The what? Hey!" said Mankey, dropping down to follow. Machop was already on the forest floor.

"W-... Wait! You're just leaving!? Just like that?!" said Mankey, swinging from tree to tree, chirping the whole way.

"My dad's gone... I can't stay here... I've got nothing here but a lot of Pokémon that would bully me. If I'm gonna get my dad back, I've gotta be stronger than this. And my dad said that I'd become a man at the smoking mountain. If I can get there, I can save him, just like he'd do for me. That's why I'm leaving..."

"But... But what about the Wiki berries!? What about everyone here who needed your dad?! If _you_ go, no one else can take his place!"

That stopped Machop for a moment. He hadn't thought of that. Even if he stayed put, someday he'd be a Machoke like his father. He could help a lot of Pokémon he already knew, but it was years away. It also meant abandoning his father. Machop sighed, never looking at Mankey.

"I can't stay. I can't. I can't leave my dad out there, somewhere. Especially after you told me what humans do to Pokémon. If he's out there, no one else is going to look for him. I have no choice. I'm sorry, Mankey. Stay safe... I'll be back... Someday..."

Machop started walking again, never once looking back...

* * *

Just like Mankey had said, as Machop continued toward the mountain pass the sun began to sink right into it. It was dangerous to travel for long at night, and his father had said different Pokémon appeared. Before the sun was completely down, Machop found a clump of roots large enough to crawl under and sleep. He stayed awake long into the night, however, nervous his first night away from home. Several times he considered sneaking home, but every time the thought of abandoning his father stopped him. Eventually he fell asleep from exhaustion, sleeping very hard. It was afternoon by the time he woke up under the roots, crawling out and continuing on his way. He found a few Oran berries for breakfast, but no rivers or a lake for water. Entering the mountain pass, Machop came to the top of a hill. Odd white towers rose from the trees far ahead, which Machop assumed were part of the human city Mankey had mentioned. It seemed long but narrow, meaning it would take until sunset to go around, but until evening to go right through.

Machop attempted the second, eventually making it to the outskirts of the city. He saw a lot of humans, but also a few Pokémon. It took a while, but Machop managed to move quickly enough to avoid drawing any attention. He stayed in bushes, behind pillars and trashcans, only moving when and where no one could see him. Finally, just as he'd thought, as the sun began to sink, Machop made it out the other side of the city. As if rewarding him, a lake could be seen in the trees ahead. It wasn't as big as the lank near his home, but it was water, and Machop was parched. He approached the lake with caution, drank quickly, then climbed a nearby tree for more food.

He'd knocked a few to the ground when he heard a splash and looked back at the lake. A white and green Pokémon, half Machop's size, had fallen into the water and was drowning. Machop jumped out of the tree, rolling to avoid hurting himself, and dove into the water, swimming for the thrashing figure. His naturally strong arms sent him rocketing through the water, quickly reaching the Pokémon. He grabbed the small figure, keeping it above the water, and paddled for the edge of the lake. As soon as his feet could touch the dirt, Machop began running, setting the Pokémon down out of the water. The Pokémon coughed up water, then breathed heavily, exhausted and half-drowned.

"You alright?! What happened?!" said Machop, concerned.

"I... I saw you getting food from the trees, but I couldn't reach, so I tried to climb. A bird though I looked like food, but it dropped me in the lake... Thanks..."

"If you're hungry, I can help. And you're welcome..."

"If it's not too much trouble... I can't reach... I'm Kaname," said the Pokémon.

"A Kaname? I've never heard of one..." said Machop, heading for the nearest berry tree.

"Well, no... I'm a Ralts... My _name_ is Kaname..."

"Name? I thought that was for Pokémon with brothers and sisters... Are there more... Ralts?... Around?" said Machop, looking down.

"No..." said Kaname, its red eyes hidden by wet lime-green hair. "My older sister left a few days ago to find her friend... She went this way and hasn't come back, so I came looking..."

Machop paused, a berry in his hand. He knew, somehow, that Kaname had lost her older sister the way he'd lost his father.

"I, uhh, I don't know how to tell you this, but... If you keep going in this direction, you might end up just like your sister... There's a human city that way, and they capture and enslave Pokémon... It's what happened to my dad..." said Machop, climbing down with a Wiki berry in one hand, a lucky find. Several other kinds were on the ground, one's he'd knocked down to collect.

"Captured?! How do we free them?!" said Kaname, horrified.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I've seen how humans work. Their Pokémon are strong and I'm too weak to challenge them. I'm heading toward somewhere my dad told me about. If he's right, when I get there I'll be strong enough to save him..."

"Do you think I'd get that strong if I went, too...?" said Kaname, still in the same place despite being hungry.

"Well, my dad said it's where you become a man, so... I guess...?"

"Uhh... I'm a girl..." said Kaname.

"Oh!... Sorry... Well, I mean... Maybe. Why not...?" said Machop, not really knowing how to respond.

"I wouldn't be bothering you, would I...? Without my sister, I don't know what to do or where to go... She's always taken care of me..."

"Well, as long as you can keep up, I don't think you'd be a bother at all. Actually, I think having someone along would make it easier... My dad always said there's strength in numbers..."

"Your dad said a lot, huh?" said Kaname.

Machop sat down at the base of the tree, biting into the only Wiki berry he'd found since leaving home.

"I guess he did..." said Machop, taking another bite.

"What's that?" said Kaname, holding a Mago berry.

"I'll give you a bite if you let me try that," said Machop holding out the Wiki berry and his other hand.

"It's a Mago berry. My sister and I love them," said Kaname, trading with him. Both of them bit in, paused, then shared the same expressions of revulsion.

Machop stuck out his tongue, grossed out. "Bad idea," he said.

"Bleh..." said Kaname, handing Machop his Wiki berry back. The two traded back, satisfied with their personal favorites.

"Well, it'll be night soon... Where were you staying? We should sleep tonight and leave tomorrow," said Machop.

"I'll show you," said Kaname, standing. She walked over to another Mago berry, staring at it very hard.

"What are you... Whoa!?" said Machop. The Mago rose into the air, wobbling.

Kaname didn't say anything, concentrating on the berry. She must have concentrated too hard because a pink bolt of lightning snaked from her head to the berry, knocking her over and sending the berry spinning back to the ground.

"Oww..." said Kaname, rubbing her head and sitting up.

"How did you do that!? That was cool!" said Machop, helping Kaname up. He had to look down at her, being almost half a meter taller.

"My sister could carry a bunch of them without even looking..." said Kaname, disappointed.

"Well, practice makes perfect," said Machop.

Kaname laughed. "Another saying from your dad?"

"Yeah, actually," said Machop, smiling.

"What's your name, by the way?" asked Kaname, looking up at him through her bowl-cut green hair.

"Uhh... I don't have one... I was the only Machop in the forest where I lived."

"Well, you like really, _really_, dry berries... How about Kanzo?"

"Kanzo?... Well, it's better than calling me Machop all the time, right? I heard my dad's name once or twice, but I was really young. I think it started with 'lo' or something..."

"Well, if you think of a better name, you can always change it, I guess," said Kaname.

"We should get going, though," she said, walking into the forest. Machop quickly followed.

* * *

The two spent the night in a a small thicket, both sleeping better knowing there was an ally nearby. In the morning, Machop, now named Kanzo, found where the sun rose and started walking in the opposite direction. He and Kaname had a long way to go, and a big goal to meet, but with every step in the right direction they got closer to it. With nothing but land ahead, Kanzo could only wonder when they'd reach the endless water his dad had talked about, and the island beyond it...

* * *

Event 2: Dynamic Punch coming soon...


	3. Event 2: Dynamic Punch

Event 2: Dynamic Punch  
Author Note: I'm putting this one before the event to throw some important facts out there. To start, I signed up here to write, not to read. By saying that I mean that if I write something that is similar to another story, or if I do things that have been done before, it is because I don't know it. My stories are mine. I credit inspiration in my openings now, so there's no question. I'm open to criticism, even harsh criticism, since it's the only way I'll learn and grow as a writer. If you have suggestions, PM me. If you have complaints, review or PM me. Now that that's out of the way, I hope you enjoyed the previous events and continue to enjoy Solemn Voice.

* * *

As the sun rose so did Kanzo, leaving Kaname to sleep while he found breakfast and looked ahead on their route. Thus far, he was the only one who knew about the way to the smoking mountain his father had spoken of. If he and Kaname ran into mildly friendly Pokémon on the way, he'd be able to ask them about it. After Kanzo had collected a few Mago berries and several Oran and Sitrus berries, he returned to where he and Kaname had slept that night. He could carry much more than what he had, and as a Machop he'd enjoy the hard work, but he wasn't helping gather food for his community anymore. It was only him and his new traveling partner, some odd Pokémon called Ralts who could pick things up with her mind.

When Kanzo returned and woke Kaname to eat, his curiosity led him to ask a few questions during breakfast.

"I've never heard of a Ralts before... Are there more of you around?" asked Kanzo, holding a Sitrus berry.

"No... I haven't seen any since my family left the island," said Kaname, chewing and talking.

"Island? Was it a big island?!"

"Well, I think so... I mean, there were lots of smaller islands around, but my mother said she'd never been to the other side, so... Yes?"

"And how did you leave?!"

"We had to get a ride... Have you ever seen a Lapras before?"

"A what...?" said Kanzo, putting a hand on the three ridges on his head, trying to think.

"A Lapras. It's a really big Pokémon with a spiky back that can swim a long way," said Kaname.

"A spiky back? That must have been annoying," said Kanzo.

"Well, not spiky... Like, knots or bumps... Anyway, one of them took us away from the island. We had to bring food for the ride, and it took all night, but the next afternoon we were getting off on a beach."

"Why come all this way?"

"My mother never told us. She didn't seem worried about anything... Maybe she just wanted to leave?"

Kanzo didn't have much to say to that, chewing and thinking it over.

"Was there a big, smoking mountain on the island?"

"You mean Mt. Chimney?"

"You know it!?" said Kanzo, jumping up. "It's called Chimney!?"

"Y-Yes..." said Kaname, a bit scared. The only thing keeping her from retreating was the overwhelming elation coming from Kanzo.

"Chimney. Mt. Chimney. That's where I need to go. Hey, then you know the way, right?!" said Kanzo.

"Well, I remember landmarks and stuff, but I don't have it memorized," said Kaname, glad he was calming down.

"Landmarks? Like what? What's next, going backwards?"

"A really cold cave," said Kaname, sounding a bit disgusted with the memory.

"Well, now that you know I'm going back to where you've come from, do you still want to go? You'd have come all this way for nothing then," said Kanzo.

"I was young when we left, and my mother, well... She died... It was my sister that brought me this far, not my mother. My sister and I heard Pokémon who could teach us lived beyond the mountains here, near towers made of gold. We saw gold towers _before _ the mountains, but there weren't any Psychic Pokémon there."

"Psychic? Is that what you are? What does that mean?"

"Remember when I tried to pick up that berry? Stuff like that is psychic," said Kaname, a bit surprised he didn't know.

"So doing things with your mind is psychic. Wow, I only left home yesterday and I'm already way behind... There's a lot my dad never told me, I guess..."

"Well, how did he learn?"

"I guess from traveling, since he said Mt. Chimney was where he was born."

"So, then, you're going to be just like him, aren't you?"

Kanzo tilted his head, resting a hand on his chin. "I didn't think of it like that," he said.

"Well, that cold cave isn't far. We could make it through today if we hurry."

"Right!" said Kanzo, snatching up another berry and biting into it hurriedly.

* * *

"Quilava!? Quilaaaava?!" called out Kaname, her stubby hands cupped around her mouth.

She and Kanzo were standing outside the mouth of a cave, the only path through the next range of mountains. It was supposed to be very cold inside, according to Kaname, so unless one of them could breathe fire they couldn't make it through alone. Kanzo and Kaname were searching for the Pokémon that had helped Kaname and her sister through previously.

"Quit your yelling, I'm up..." groaned a voice from the top of a large rock. A Quilava poked its head up, rubbing his eye. He slid down the rock, standing upright and yawning.

"You again, huh? Where's your sister?" asked the Quilava, still squinting away sleep.

"My sister got captured..." said the little Ralts, her head dipping.

"No kiddin'? I thought I warned her..." said Quilava, looking in the direction of the human city.

"You did?" asked Kaname.

"Well, she asked for directions, so I gave 'em to 'er. I told her the fastest way was through the city, but it was too dangerous; to go around to the south. I guess you got away?" said Quilava.

"She told me she was going ahead to find a friend... That she'd be back..."

"Ahh, I bet she tried to scout ahead so you'd both get through safe... But, there's nothing we can do now. You headin' back home, then?"

"I guess... I kinda remember the way, and his dad's from the mountain on my island, so we're going together."

"A Machamp from Mt. Chimney?! Wow!" said Quilava, looking at Kanzo.

"My dad was just a Machoke. He said he didn't want to grow anymore, mainly because he wouldn't be able to fight the same anymore..."

"Well, still! A Machoke's crazy strong! I've seen 'em at work before, ya know? I guess that means you're goin' to the Fighting Pokémon colony, right?"

"Colony? I thought it was just other Pokémon like me," said Kanzo, surprised again by his lack of knowledge.

"Yeah, your dad didn't say?! It's not just Machop, Machoke, and Machamp! Fighting Pokémon everywhere go there! Somethin' about a volcano bein' the perfect training ground. I don't get it, but then I'm not good with water. I couldn't go if I wanted to," said Quilava, patting his stomach.

"The endless water..." said Kanzo, remembering his father's story.

"Got that right! Now, I'm betting you two pip-squeaks don't wanna travel at night, am I right? If that's the case, we need to head through soon or it'll be dark when we get out. And, sorry, but I'm not great with babysitting either," said Quilava, dropping to all fours and walking toward the cave entrance down the path.

"Right! Thanks for bringing us through!" said Kaname, rushing to keep up. Traveling was hard on her, since she was so small. Adding in the odd legs only made things worse.

"No problem! It's kinda my job now, ya know? Not many Fire Pokémon around, right? It's somewhere I'm needed. I like it here," said Quilava, looking around.

"Just, do us all a favor," continued Quilava, "And watch out for my fire, alright? I can light the way and keep ya warm, but get too close and you'll get burned, got it?"

"I remember," said Kaname, looking over at Kanzo.

"I've heard of Fire Pokémon, but I've never met one before," said Kanzo, still curious.

"Well, ask your questions on the way. We gotta go, kid!" said Quilava, lighting the flames on his head and back.

"Oh! Sorry!" said Kanzo, keeping up and watching what was ahead.

* * *

Sure enough, the cave grew colder and colder the further in they got. Kaname stayed to Quilava's left and Kanzo stayed to his right, sticking close to keep warm. The cave was very dark, but Quilava seemed to know the way, notifying the other two when they needed to turn or watch out for steep falls. Some Pokémon cries could be heard echoing in the cave, and a few times skittish Pokémon would run away when they heard or saw the three coming. For a long while, it seemed peaceful enough, and a few times it warmed up a bit. It finally came time to take a break, Kaname getting too tired to keep walking. Kanzo had carried extra berries in with them for exactly this sort of time. He didn't mind the extra weight, since his body was made for hard work. He needed help picking up so many berries, but holding them was easy enough. Quilava seemed to like the odd shaped Figy berries Kanzo had found, but Kanzo still hadn't seen anymore Wiki berries. During their break some cave Pokémon drew close, waiting for a moment to steal some food. Bright displays from Quilava, like spitting embers at them, put a stop to it pretty quickly, though.

Half the day went by, the berry supply shrinking enough that Kaname could sit in the crook of Kanzo's left arm while he cradled the berries in his right. Quilava was able to avoid the most dangerous parts of the cave, and he warned that some areas deeper in were covered in ice. Luckily, he'd found a route safe for all Pokémon, and that they were two-thirds of the way through. When it seemed as if the trip through would go by without event, a few Geodude came out to block the way.

"Hey! You've got berries! We want 'em!" said the larger one at the front.

Kanzo was about to agree when Quilava spat an ember to the side and refused.

"We gathered 'em. Go get your own, why don'tcha!" said Quilava, his flames glowing brighter in response to the threat.

Geodude slammed his fists on the ground.

"Hand 'em over! Hand 'em over!" began the leader.

"Hand 'em over! Hand 'em over!" chanted the other two beside it.

Every time they slammed their fists, tremors in the cave grew stronger.

"Hey!" hissed Quilava, looking back at Kanzo. "You're a Fighting Pokémon! Lend me a hand, will ya! Drop the girl and the food, quick!"

Kanzo did so, letting Kaname down and setting the berries near the wall. He ran up next to Quilava, his fists up and his tail tensed for balance.

"Would you shut up!?" yelled Quilava, over the annoying chanting and rumbling.

"Then hand 'em over!" growled the Geodude.

"Take 'em if you want 'em!" said Quilava, shaking his head to show off his flames.

The Geodude all growled together and began pulling themselves forward with their strong arms. As they picked up speed they began rolling. Quilava charged as well, lowering his head. Kanzo rushed forward, pulling a fist back to hit the Geodude close to the floor. Quilava hit the leader, making him bounce back, then swung his legs around and kicked the next one. Kanzo punched the remaining one upwards, then jumped up and spiked it like a volley ball. The three Geodude backed up, pulled up some dirt, and started flinging it, pelting Quilava and Kanzo. Quilava breathed fire in their direction, a wide glowing cone in the dark, squinting against the flying dirt. Kanzo could only shield his eyes and ignore the many small hits. The Geodude stopped throwing dirt, yelling from the heat and holding their arms up to attempt to shield themselves. Slightly charred, the Geodude growled and retreated, climbing up a nearby wall and disappearing into the dark.

"I should make a 'no food' rule! Dang it!" said Quilava, rather annoyed.

"Sorry," said Kanzo, stretching his arms, "We didn't mean to cause trouble."

"Nah, it's not you. It's the greedy Pokémon around here! That's the second time, ya know..." said Quilava, walking over to help Kanzo pick up the berries and Kaname again.

"Well, next time just make sure everyone eats a lot bef-!" started Kanzo, cutting off from the shaking in the ground.

"What in the world?!" said Quilava, dropping to all fours again to balance. Kanzo crouched, using his flat feet and strong stubby tail to make himself like a tri-pod.

"Foooooooooood!" came a loud growling. It was only one Pokémon, and it sounded bigger than a Geodude.

There was a huge crash up ahead, then slow but steady footsteps thundering their way. Out of the shadows, a Graveler waddled toward them. It was a bit taller than Kanzo, but much heavier. Graveler usually ate rocks, but were not above treats like berries.

"That's new!" said Quilava, jumping aside to distract the Graveler. Quilava spat a few embers at the big rocky foe, provoking it. Graveler held up one of his longer arms, blocking the small flecks of fire. It wanted the berries, and wasn't too interested in fighting for them. Graveler approached Kaname and the berries, ignoring Kanzo as well as Quilava. Kaname might as well have been invisible as well, because Graveler thrust an arm forward, ready to go right through her for the berries.

"Hey! Leave her alone!" yelled Kanzo, punching the side of Graveler's round body. His fist stung, but he was made for tough training. That still didn't get Graveler's attention, it simply trying to grab berries despite almost crushing Kaname. Kaname tried a weak psychic attack, but the small pink bolt that sent a berry flying didn't do a thing to Graveler. It did, however, get Graveler's attention. The small spark affected his body as well as his mind, and in his annoyance Graveler swatted at the source with his other long arm. Ralts jumped back, barely grazed by the attack. A Bluk berry squashing around in its open mouth, Graveler slowly turned to Kaname, pursuing his chosen target.

"I told you to leave her alone, you stupid rock!" said Kanzo, jumping over Graveler and chopping the top of its head. Graveler shook off the dizziness from the strike, growled, and began turning to face Kanzo. It reached down and pulled a rock out of the dirt, tossing it at Kanzo. Kanzo shielded his face with his arms, tensing up. The rock broke across his arms, stinging his arms and scratching them up. Graveler, satisfied he'd shown his power, picked up another berry to eat.

"Knock. It. _Off_!" yelled Kanzo, running, jumping, and pulling back a fist.

Graveler turned in time to see Kanzo's fist begin to glow white just before it struck him in the face. Graveler coughed black berry juice over Kanzo's chest, tipping backwards and stumbling to stay upright. It dropped the berry it had picked up, dizzy and off balance. It stumbled back to a small cliff, falling over and rolling deeper into the cave. It crashed to the ground not too far below, but it was too heavy to be climbing back up anytime soon.

* * *

"Was that Dynamic Punch!? Way to go, kid!" said Quilava, running over on two legs.

"Dynamic Punch?" asked Kanzo, shaking his fist. The punch hadn't hurt him like when he'd hit Graveler's side, but his fist was tingling somehow.

"It's a real cool Fighting Pokémon move! Get hit with that punch, and you won't know up from down. I've never been hit with it before, but I've seen it. You didn't know you had it?"

"No clue... It just kinda came out," said Kanzo.

"Well, you'll wanna practice that one. Careful, though, it'll tire out even a Machoke after a few times. Me, I can only use Focus Punch, and even then it takes me a bit to get it right."

"Focus Punch? Is that good too?" asked Kaname. She didn't know anything about Fighting Pokémon, and was just as curious as Kanzo.

"Well, it's strong, yeah. But it takes a lotta time to get it to work unless you practice. Pretty sure other Pokémon'll steer clear of this area now. Most of 'em in here aren't interested in a fight. Let's get going before we take too long," said Quilava, changing the subject.

"Yeah, thanks..." said Kanzo, walking over to the pile of berries. With Quilava's help, he cradled the berries and Kaname again, following Quilava the rest of the way.

* * *

By the time the three got out of the cave, the sun was nearly set. Quilava took Kanzo and Kaname to his temporary den nearby for the night, since he had one on each side of the cave. Kanzo climbed a few nearby trees to gather food for the night and the next morning, leaving the Figy berries for Quilava as a make-shift payment for his help. By morning, Kanzo and Kaname were ready to continue on their way. After a day of conflict and conversation, they felt much better prepared for the long journey ahead...

* * *

Event 3: Distant Tin Tower coming soon...


	4. Event 3: Distant Tin Tower

Event 3: Distant Tin Tower

* * *

The morning following Kanzo and Kaname's cave-diving experience, they left the Quilava that had helped them through to continue their journey. Starting in the mountains between Johto and Kanto, north of Mt. Silver, Kanzo had heard from his father, a Machoke, about Mt. Chimney. His father spoke of a long journey, endless water, and a huge island with a smoking mountain. Kanzo learned that Kaname, a young Ralts, was from that same island. The two joined together in search of Machoke's birthplace, the same place that would make Kanzo, just a Machop, strong enough to save his father from human captivity.

After heading north around a small human village, Kaname needed a break. While Kanzo was born to train and fight, Kaname's body wasn't so durable. She and Kanzo found a small lake to rest by, Kanzo climbed a few trees for berries, and they ate. Kanzo was up and ready to go long before Kaname even finished eating.

"I'm gonna go over to those rocks and see about practicing Dynamic Punch," said Kanzo, pointing in the direction he meant.

"I'll finish eating and go there too, but you'll have to give me a bit... My legs ache..." answered Kaname.

Kanzo headed over to the jumble of rocks, first pulling one as big as he was out of the ground. He threw it into the air, caught it, and repeated several times. He stretched every part of his body after, then threw the rock up once more, pulling back a fist and focusing. As the rock came down, Kanzo punched up. He expected to meet the rock with his fist and use Dynamic Punch. His move activated, thankfully, but it didn't just keep him on the ground. The force of his punch actually made him jump two feet into the air, shattering the rock. Kanzo landed and shook his hand out. The punch didn't hurt, but using it gave his entire hand a feeling like pins and needles were poking at it. Kanzo walked over to a different rock, a meter and a half tall, almost twice his height. He pulled his other fist back this time, resting the first, and used Dynamic Punch again. He hit the rock, broke a chunk out of it, but the force carried him forward and he slammed his face into the broken stone. Kanzo took a step back, clutching his broad snout.

"Oww!" he yelled, closing his eyes. He rubbed his nose. "I didn't expect that..."

Both his hands tingled with sensation now, so Kanzo searched out another rock his size to toss around. He needed practice with Dynamic Punch, but he felt like he was missing a lot. His father hadn't taught him much, and sparring with his father had always been hard. Kanzo knew chops, kicks, punches, and a basic grab move, but Dynamic Punch was only the second move he had a name for. The first was his Low Kick, which his dad told him to save for heavy enemies. Kanzo also found glaring at his opponents seemed to make them nervous and more likely to miss a block, but that may have just been because everyone in the forest had known his dad.

Kanzo kept training, heeding the warning from Quilava to not overuse Dynamic Punch, and after a while Kaname came over to watch and rest. She managed to use a rock chip to practice her own psychic abilities, actually getting one to float and be steady. A few hours passed, Kaname slipping into a nap while Kanzo trained as tirelessly as his species was famous for. Eventually, Kaname woke up, the two ate lunch, and headed on their way.

* * *

"There's a human city to the south, but we should be safe. I think we should get far enough away before sleeping, though," shouted Kanzo, up in a tree.

"So we'll be traveling at night?" asked Kaname, skeptical.

Kanzo dropped out of the tree. "I don't like it either, but I like the idea of being caught less."

Kaname lowered her head. He was right, but traveling at night meant running into different Pokémon than they were used to.

"Hey, we'll be fine! Look, through that gap, see that big tower?" said Kanzo, ducking and pointing. A tall silver tower rose from nowhere, forward and to the left.

"All we need to do is keep that to our left and we'll be fine. It's hard to miss after all," said Kanzo.

Kaname nodded and the two continued. With no need to carry food, Kanzo offered to carry Kaname if she got tired. Their top priority was getting distance from the human city while still moving toward their goal. Night fell and the two continued in the dark, light from the moon just enough to see what was in front of them. The sounds of the forest changed, growing quieter and broader in range. The first sign of danger was when Kaname yelped and ran forward, grabbing Kanzo's side and looking back.

"What? What happened?" whispered Kanzo, looking around.

"Something poked my back!" said Kaname, shivering in fear.

"Keep calm, there's nothing back there. Let's just keep moving. If it happens again, I'll carry you, ok?"

Kaname nodded, letting go and sticking closer as they walked.

The second time didn't leave Kanzo with any choice, as Kaname yelped again and disappeared.

"Kaname?! _Kaname?!_" yelled Kanzo, sure they were discovered now. Suddenly alone, Kanzo shifted his eyes left, right, up, down, and everywhere looking for the threat or a sign of Kaname. His ears, unseen behind skin-colored membranes, strained into the forest for her struggling or cries. Bushes rustled to the left, so Kanzo rushed in that direction, guard up, ready for confrontation. Nothing met him, and he heard mischievous laughter.

"Haunted forest? Are you kidding...?" said Kanzo to no one in particular.

"Haaaaaaaaauuuuuunt..." came a strained voice, sounding from everywhere.

"Ahh!?" yelled Kanzo, spinning around, looking everywhere.

"Kanzo!?" came Kaname's voice. She was up in a tree.

"How'd you get up there? Hang on!" said Kanzo, running for the tree to rescue her.

"No! Run!" she said, vanishing again.

Kanzo was knocked off the tree by something, and more laughter sounded.

"_Kaname?!_" yelled Kanzo again, starting to shake from fear.

* * *

"It's ok to be afraid... But courage is what you earn from facing fear..."

* * *

"Dad...?" said Kanzo, looking around. He felt chills. It was really like his father had spoken to him. He tried to focus, turning around again... And coming face to face with a mouth full of teeth and glowing red eyes floating behind him.

Kanzo yelled, scared, but punched at the figure. His fist went right through and he stumbled forward. Something hit him in the back and knocked him over. Kanzo struggled to stand, looking around for his enemy again. He couldn't see them, but he knew they were there. Kanzo tried to slow his racked breathing, tried to focus. He felt long hair brush over his face, but bit his tongue and didn't scream. He kept trying to calm down, squeezing his eyes shut.

"_Kanzo!?_" yelled Kaname from somewhere.

Still Kanzo kept his eyes shut, blowing out air from his mouth and breathing in through his nose. He took one last deep breath, in and out, then opened his eyes. From his naturally red irides came a red glow, like a searchlight. Now everywhere he looked he saw floating Pokémon with purple bodies. He looked right at one, a bigger one with floating hands. It noticed he could see it, floated closer, bobbing left and right.

"Haaaaaaaaaaaaauuuntaaaaaaaa," it breathed, stinking breath washing over Kanzo.

He socked it in the face, right where it should have had a nose. The light Pokémon flew back and hit a tree. All the other ghosts looked at Kanzo, startled.

"Give. Her. Back," said Kanzo, biting off every word.

Another Ghost Pokémon stepped out of a bush, looking like the Haunter but with legs. From behind it, Kaname peeked out, then ran to Kanzo.

This Pokémon, seeming to be the leader, turned and pointed at something. Kanzo turned just his head and saw a group of humans and Pokémon, walking from the direction of the city. They passed close enough to light up Kanzo's face with their lights, but they didn't notice him or the Ghosts. When Kanzo looked back, the leader of the Ghosts was looking at him. Kanzo understood at last.

* * *

"Thanks... I guess..." said Kanzo, putting one hand on Kaname's shoulder.

"No _need_," said the leader, his voice like an insane joker's. "I am Gengar, and this is my _family_. I say no need because, while we _hate_ those humans, it's more fun than you'll ever know to _mess _with traveling Pokémon! I assume you need a place to stay?"

Gengar put odd emphasis on his words and places in his words, sounding like he couldn't decide to be threatening or happy.

"Well, we need to keep away from humans, and we need to... Well... We need to leave in the morning..." said Kanzo, highly skeptical.

"Oh, by all _means_, you may come and _go_. All I _ask_ is that you _share_ what you _know_," said Gengar, his ghoulish smile never fading.

"Know about what?" said Kanzo, thoroughly creeped out.

"Well, the _world,_ you see! We Ghost Pokémon _never_ travel. It just _kills_ us to go out in the sun or bright light, you know. But there _happens_ to be a mansion just over the _hill_ here. If you answer all _our_ questions, you'll have a place to _stay_."

Kanzo looked down at Kaname. Kaname looked up, feeling his questioning demeanor.

"Can you see him?" asked Kanzo.

"Only when you look at him," said Kaname.

"Do you hear him?"

"Yes."

"Should we?"

Kaname looked down. "I think we should be careful..."

"Gengar?" said Kanzo, looking back at the Pokémon.

"Are you _coming_?"

"Yes. But, I should say first, we'll have to answer your questions in the morning. We need to sleep so we can travel tomorrow."

"Oh, no _problem_. We Ghosts don't _sleep_, after all. _Please_, this way..." said Gengar, turning away from the silver tower and the human city, heading deeper into the forest to the north. Once the humans were far enough away, other Pokémon rose out of the surrounding forests, all Ghosts. Several floating Pokémon that looked like lamps lit the way. Nocturnal Pokémon that Machop would usually have hidden from seemed to avoid the group of Ghosts, but only looked at the lamps, probably unable to see the other Ghosts. Sure enough, a large abandoned mansion was soon visible through the trees. A Pokémon the same height as Kanzo stood outside, blue with glowing yellow eyes. It had a stone with a spiral strapped to its chest.

"Golett, if you _please_," said Gengar.

The Pokémon walked to the big doors of the mansion, pushing them open for the Ghosts.

"Golett here's the _only_ one of us who can stand sunlight. He's _also_ the only one who doesn't need to _concentrate_ to touch things. Well, aside from the Lampent lighting the way, but they're rather _weak _alone."

Ghosts started going through windows and walls to enter the mansion. Kanzo and Kaname realized the open doors were just for them to enter. As soon as they walked in their opinion of Ghost Pokémon changed. Pokémon ran through the mansion everywhere, mainly floating. There were slow moving candle-shaped Pokémon, two floating Pokémon that drew close to light the room that looked like chandeliers, Haunter and others with less form, and even a few balloon Pokémon. Puppets and dolls skittered around, all interacting just like Kanzo remembered from his forest home. Kanzo and Kaname openly gazed at the community of darkness-dwelling Pokémon.

"You two are _welcome_ to chose a place to sleep for the night. We'll wake you when the _sun_ rises over the trees. We're all _friendly_ here, we just _love_ scares and _pranks_ that's all. Sleep _tight_," said Gengar, backing up through the staircase to the left. Golett closed the doors to the mansion, coming to stand behind Kanzo and Kaname. Kanzo turned to face it. The Pokémon had a deep, thrumming voice but no visible mouth.

"I can lead you to a room if you wish," it said.

"Uhh, sure... Thanks..." said Kanzo. Kaname still stuck close to him, perhaps dealing with a fear of Ghost Pokémon.

"You ok?" asked Kanzo, looking down at her.

"I'll be fine," she said, sounding shaken. "It's just going to take some getting used to..."

Kanzo followed the Golett up a staircase and down a hallway. A few times a doll Pokémon dropped on Kanzo's head, hopped up and down laughing, then jumped through the wall. It didn't hurt, but the prank was annoying. Golett opened the door to a bedroom with many pillows thrown into it. Golett stood outside the door, arms crossed.

"Here may be comfortable. Please, let me know if I can help in any way," said the Golett.

Kanzo went into the room, but Kaname finally broke away to talk to Golett.

"You're a Ghost Pokémon too?" she asked.

"Yes, though I am more stable than most."

"Do you live here?"

"I was the first," said Golett.

"Well, then this is your mansion, right? Thanks for letting us stay."

Golett put its arms at its side and bowed.

"You are most welcome," it thrummed.

Kaname smiled, bowing her head in return. As she entered the room to talk to Kanzo, Golett closed the door behind them. Just before it closed, Golett could hear Kaname say something.

"That Golett was cool! I wish more Ghost Pokémon were like that!" she said, glad to have met a Ghost Pokémon she wasn't afraid of.

Golett stood outside the door all night, like he always did for guests, but felt strangely appreciated.

* * *

Morning came and a Lampent opened the door to wake them. Kanzo was sleeping hard, but Kaname became lucid faster.

"Where's Golett?" asked Kaname to the floating Pokémon.

"The owner's in the lobby, waiting for you," said the Lampent, floating out the door and heading toward the lobby.

"Come on!" said Kaname, bugging Kanzo.

"I'm coming, jeez..." said Kanzo, yawning.

The two went down to the lobby, Kaname ahead the whole way. When they reached the bottom of the stairs and entered the lobby, Kaname yelled and pointed. A giant suit of armor stood in the lobby, blue like Golett but much, much taller. The suit put its arms at its side and bowed, just like Golett had.

"Golett?!" said Kaname, surprised.

"I am Golurk, owner of the mansion," said the suit, still bowed.

"I thank you for your humble appreciation. You two were the first to speak to me and thank me. It is because of you I have taken this form at long last," said Golurk, straightening after.

"Golurk? You evolved?!" said Kaname.

"Evolved? What does that mean?" asked Kanzo.

"How do you not know?! Lots of Pokémon evolve! You become Machoke!" yelled Kaname, her small frame jittering with passion.

"Well, yeah, but not overnight! It takes a long time to grow like that for me! I've never seen a Pokémon evolve so fast! Everyone in my old forest sorta grew up!"

"Well, yeah, some Pokémon do evolve over time... But some evolve all at once, like Golett did," said Kaname.

"I didn't know that," said Kanzo, tilting his head and scratching between the boney ridges on his head.

"As a token of my thanks," said Golurk, "I would like to teach you each a new technique."

"Each?! Wait, I thought we were going to answer questions?" said Kanzo.

"Oh, it can _wait_," said Gengar, rising out of the floor. "I'm sure your _journey_ isn't going anywhere. The forests and mountains won't _disappear_, you know!"

"Will you learn from me?" asked Golurk.

Kanzo and Kaname looked at each other. It was Kaname who answered.

"Learn from a cool Ghost Pokémon? Yes, please!" she said, bowing to even less than a ninth of Golurk's nine meter height.

* * *

Event 4: Passing Of Time coming soon...

* * *

Author Note: I'd write more, but I try to limit myself to below 5 pages. If you think this is too little or too much, feel free to let me know. If I hear enough, I can change my limit, I just don't want to overload readers with too much in each chapter. 'Til next time! (Post script: This fic takes from the anime, the games, and a few original ideas of mine, such as the concept of evolution as a form of growing older.)


	5. Event 4: Passing Of Time

Event 4: Passing Of Time

* * *

"Do you think it's alright for us to stop here? I mean, you wanted to see Mt. Chimney, right?" asked Kaname, once during a break.

"The whole reason I left home for the mountain was to get strong enough to save my dad. It's not like it's a short walk, either. The way I see it, if I get stronger here and now, getting to the mountain will be that much easier, and getting back will take that much less time," responded Kanzo. The two, once only learning from the Golurk they'd helped evolve, had stopped their journey at the abandoned mansion. Kaname got over her fear of Ghost Pokémon, which hadn't been that strong to begin with. Kanzo learned a lot, things like the names of his moves and getting the time to perfect them. According to the community of Ghost Pokémon, Kanzo knew many moves. Low Kick, Karate Chop, Leer, Focus Energy, Submission, Dynamic Punch, and now Foresight. It was Foresight that had allowed him to forcibly reveal the Ghosts in the forest. Golurk taught him Focus Punch, but every time Kanzo tried it it either didn't work or it came out as Dynamic Punch. Kaname, on the other hand, was able to completely perfect Confusion, her ability to move things with her mind. It only worked on one object, and it took a lot of concentration, but she got it to a point where it no longer backfired. She also learned Hypnosis, Nightmare, and Heal Pulse from the other Ghost Pokémon.

For both, it was an extremely beneficial experience, but it took a very long time. By the time the day came that Kanzo and Kaname decided to leave, Kanzo had grown from just under a meter to almost a meter and a half tall. His form had grown more muscular, he'd grown toes on his stubby feet, and his tail was almost completely gone. Kaname had changed completely, doubling in height to just under a meter tall and taking on the look of Kirlia, like her older sister had been. In their time at the mansion, Kanzo had been put to work to earn his keep. Since he was now the only solid body that was able to reach everything in the mansion, Golurk trapped in the main lobby because of his size, Kanzo was the one who fixed the place up. Rooms now all had a purpose and every door was open, some doors even fixed after finding the right parts. Kaname had earned her stay with more dexterity, using Confusion to straighten paintings, whip dust and cobwebs into balls to be taken away, and smoothing out rugs and carpeting. The entire mansion still looked abandoned, and haunted, but it was much more comfortable when Kanzo and Kaname decided to leave.

* * *

"Oh, _do_ hold on a moment," said Gengar, phasing out of a wall as Kanzo and Kaname left their room for the last time. They looked at Gengar, assuming he had something to say. Instead, Gengar closed his mouth completely, then opened it, sticking out his tongue and picking something up off of it. It was a Power-Save belt, something evolved forms of Machop needed.

"There were _several_ of these in the basement. If I'm not _mistaken_, you need one, don't you? Golurk and I are _so grateful_ for all you've done, and consider this a _token_ of thanks..."

Kanzo made a face and took it, expecting it to be covered in slobber. It was dry however, so he dropped the look.

"Wow... Seriously?!" he said, holding it up. He remembered his father wearing one.

"What, you think _I'm_ going to use it? Heugh! Fat chance!" said Gengar, grabbing his sides with his stubby arms and laughing like a banshee.

"I'll keep it with me. I bet I'll be needing it soon... That's really a big deal, thanks so much," said Kanzo, draping the belt and attached spandex over his shoulder. If Kanzo only had the ripped skin on his arms, the sign his power had grown beyond his control, he'd be a Machoke. He was still a bit scrawny, however, so it wasn't official.

"Golurk's still in the lobby, right?" asked Kaname, fully a Kirlia unlike Kanzo who was practically in between evolutions.

"Yes indeed-y! Well? Come _on_ and say your good-byes. It's not like anyone's going to _cry_ or... Anything..." said Gengar, tearing up and turning away suddenly.

"Gengar?" said Kanzo, leaning to the side to see Gengar's face.

Gengar spun around, stuck out his tongue, and licked the side of Kanzo's head. Chills ran through Kanzo and he recoiled.

"Keh! Hehehehehehehe!" laughed Gengar. His pranks, like most of the Ghost Pokémon, never ceased.

"Eugh... Thanks..." said Kanzo, rubbing the side of his head. It wasn't wet, but now it was numb.

The three continued down the hall to the stairs, emerging in the lobby, prepared to leave. Gengar stayed by the stairs where it was dark, since the sun was up. Golurk stood by the main doors, hands together and hanging in front of him, relaxed. When Golurk saw Kanzo and Kaname enter, he bowed.

"Thank you for your service to my mansion. Thank you for your friendship and understanding of the other residents. And, most importantly, thank you for deciding to stay in the first place. The affects of your visit will be felt for many years," thrummed Golurk, his deep voice coming from somewhere within him.

Kanzo and Kaname bowed in return.

"And thank you for being so welcoming," said Kaname, "If you hadn't offered for us to stay, we'd have been on our way a long time ago, and much weaker. All the Pokémon here have been very helpful, and your hospitality won't be forgotten."

Kanzo and Kaname straightened when Golurk did, waiting as he turned and opened the doors to the mansion. Golurk stepped aside, so his large frame wouldn't block the door.

"Do come visit again someday. We'd love to hear what you learn of the outside world, and see how it changes you. You have a long way to go, but I have no doubts you will achieve your goals."

Golurk looked pointedly at Kanzo.

"Your father may be far away, in the possession of a human, but I feel as though he would be proud to see his son undertaking such a journey in his name. Should you ever run into trouble, do not hesitate to ask for my aid."

Kanzo smiled, his once-flat teeth a bit sharper now that he'd grown. "Thanks, Golurk. We'll make sure to come back on our way home. Glad to have met you," said Kanzo. He and Kaname started out the door, turning when the light all but obscured them to the many Ghosts within.

"And thanks to everyone else too! I'll be sure to spread the word that Ghost Pokémon are more kind-hearted than they seem. Take care everyone!" yelled Kanzo, so all of them in the lobby could hear him. At that, he and Kaname headed out the door and into the sun, on their way once again.

* * *

With the early start they had, Kanzo and Kaname were able to put the sun to their backs, the distant Tin Tower to their left, and continue on their way to Mt. Chimney. Coming to the top of a hill, Kanzo climbed a tree and scouted ahead. For a long way he didn't see any evidence of humans, only another cluster of mountains in the distance. Kanzo jumped down and continued walking with Kaname, reporting what he saw. Kaname, now evolved, was able to walk much further than before without a break. Eventually, however, Kanzo had her sitting on his right shoulder, his Power-Save belt over his left. As afternoon began to turn to evening, Kanzo and Kaname came upon a small pond, complete with lily pads. As the two approached to drink and rest, several dwellers of the pond surfaced, those who could coming out of the water to meet them. The largest looked like a chubby fish with legs.

"Heeeeeelloooooooo," said the fish Pokémon, just as tall as Kanzo, almost a meter and a half. It spoke slowly, though that seemed natural, not by choice.

"Would you mind if we took a drink and rested? We'll be gone quickly if it's a bother," said Kanzo, Kaname still on his shoulder.

"Suuuuuuuurree... Iiii'm Quuuuaaaaagsiiiire," said the Pokémon.

"Quagsire? I think I remember hearing about Wooper and Quagsire. Is that right?" asked Kanzo.

"Eeeeeexaaaactly..." said Quagsire, turning back to the water. It seemed to barely care they were there.

After Quagsire seemed to approve of them, other Pokémon came out of the water, curious about their visitors. A Poliwhirl walked up ahead of the group, about Kaname's height, a meter.

"You're travelers?" it asked, its voice thrumming from within like Golurk's had, though with a bit higher pitch.

"Yes, actually," said Kaname, jumping down from Kanzo's shoulder.

"What's ahead, do you know? We're heading for the mountains," said Kanzo.

"Oh, if you're heading beyond them be careful. If you came from the east, you've seen the humans. They don't live beyond the mountains, but some take their Pokémon to explore. Only strong teams headed by humans head that way."

Several smaller Pokémon behind him agreed, the chatter a bit indistinguishable.

"Do you know Mt. Chimney?" asked Kaname.

"Only stories," said Poliwhirl, looking over its shoulder to see if any others would step up. A Wooper waddled forward.

"I heard! I heard! Mt. Chimney's on a big island! It's far! Very far! Look for caves! Caves passed the mountain! Near the water, ok?!" chirped the Water Pokémon, a bit high pitched and annoying.

"A cave? Near the ocean?" asked Kanzo.

"Passed the mountains! You can see the ocean from the other side!" answered the Wooper. It didn't seem to know much.

"Thanks for the tips, everyone. Anything we can do in return?" asked Kanzo. Kaname went to the waterside to drink while he continued talking.

"Can you reach berries?" asked Poliwhirl. "We're tired of bugs and dirt."

"Of course! I'll drink, then we'll go collect some."

The Pokémon behind Poliwhirl chattered again, delighted by the news.

As promised, Kanzo went with Poliwhirl shortly after, climbing trees with practiced ease, knocking down berries for Poliwhirl to gather up and carry back to the pond and return for more. Kaname could help now that she could control her psychic powers, plucking berries from afar when Kanzo couldn't reach them.

* * *

Once the Water Pokémon had a healthy stash of berries, Kanzo and Kaname said their good-byes and continued, the setting sun their guide. A bit older, a fair measure stronger, and more knowledgeable, the two were able to continue into the night until they reached the base of the first mountain, sleeping early. Kanzo woke earlier than Kaname, searching for a short tree and pulling it from the ground. He laid it in a clear space and began lifting it over his head then setting it down gently. The resistance was training, and the tree he'd chosen didn't grow berries or house any Pokémon. Back outside the mansion, Kanzo had a similar tree he'd used the duration of their stay, but that one had been pulled by Golurk to begin with. While Kanzo was proud of his progress, he was never satisfied. He'd seen his dad pick up and throw a Rhydon, twice his weight, and until Kanzo could do that and more, he'd never be satisfied. His father was that strong and had still lost...

When Kaname woke she found Kanzo by feeling out his shifting emotions. The two went on their way after finding breakfast, passing the first mountain that day and the next the day after. With each morning, Kanzo grew stronger and stronger, almost as if his body was begging to advance. It wasn't until a week away from the mansion that Kanzo and Kaname were confronted. A Nidoking, shorter and heavier than Kanzo, stomped out from a dense collection of trees. It wasn't as big as a Rhydon, but Kanzo instantly found himself hoping the Nidoking would pick a fight. He wasn't disappointed.

"You two! You're goin' the wrong way!" declared Nidoking.

"How would you know?" said Kanzo, handing his Power-Save belt to Kaname.

"Let me do this. I want a good test," said Kanzo, quietly.

"Be careful... They're poisonous..." said Kaname, taking the belt and backing off.

"You sayin' I'm wrong!? You're walkin' right through _my _neck'o the woods! Wrong. Way!" asserted Nidoking.

"Yeah, well, we're either gonna pass through and be gone or you're gonna try and stop us and we're going through anyway," said Kanzo, cracking his knuckles and rolling his neck. Training was nothing if it didn't work in battle, and Kanzo was desperate to get the chance to prove to himself he was improving. Months ago, he would have climbed a tree or run away.

Nidoking slammed its tail on the ground, shaking the ground. Not quite an earthquake, but threatening.

"Just try and go through me!" yelled the Nidoking, standing his ground.

_Ok, Low Kick for heavy opponents. Dynamic Punch in an opening. I can do this_.

Kanzo rushed forward, his eyes piercing his opponent in a Leer. It worked and Nidoking appeared to entertain the thought that challenging a Machoke was a bad idea. The second of distraction was enough for Kanzo to get close and land a punch on Nidoking's belly. Nidoking recovered quickly, however, swinging its hard arms at Kanzo's head. Kanzo hopped back, trying to lead Nidoking into a charge. The hot-headed Pokémon fell for it, rushing forward, its heavy footsteps rumbling in the forest air. Kanzo waited, light on his feet, then sidestepped and sweeped his leg out. The Low Kick worked perfectly, tripping Nidoking and sending it crashing to the floor. Nidoking was up fast, however, and launching small barbs from all over its body at Kanzo.

"Whoa! What?!" said Kanzo, jumping behind a tree and hearing the needles impact one after another. Nidoking's heavy footsteps sounded again and it slammed right through the tree Kanzo had hid behind. Kanzo dodged, thinking the worst of the attack was past, until Nidoking thrashed with its tail and sent Kanzo flying into a tree. Kanzo fell to the ground and put a hand to his chest. No broken bones, but the attack had hurt far worse than Kanzo had expected.

_Watch the tail. Right. And the spikes. And the claws. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea..._

Nidoking was charging again, not worried a bit about Kanzo's health. Kanzo decided he had no choice, prepared himself with Focus Energy, and rushed at Nidoking. Nidoking roared and Kanzo shouted out, pulling his fist back. Dynamic Punch met Take Down in a thundering impact. Kanzo flew back again, skipping over the forest floor and rolling to regain his footing. The Nidoking, on the other hand, doubled over and stumbled, dazed. Dynamic Punch was successful! Kanzo saw his opportunity and took it, closing his eyes and controlling his breathing. He brought his right fist to his left palm, focusing and clearing his mind.

_Now or never..._

Kanzo charged forward, his right fist beginning to glow. As Kanzo punched, he felt power welling up within him. Like a volcano, unknown energy erupted in him, his body feeling so strained he thought he might burst... Until he did. The muscles in his arms bulged out and ripped open his skin, just like his father's arms. Nidoking never recovered in time, getting hit in the chest with the full force of Kanzo's first successful Focus Punch. Most powerful among Fighting techniques, Focus Punch sent even the heavy Nidoking rocketing backwards through a tree and into a second. Kanzo stood where he'd finished the blow, his fist completely numb unlike the pins and needles of Dynamic Punch. To top it off, blood was dripping from his arms where they'd ripped open. His evolution was complete, at last, and the way was clear.

* * *

"Are you ok?! That was incredible!" squealed Kaname, running over holding the Power-Save belt.

Kanzo was breathing heavily, and wasn't able to respond verbally, but the grin on his face was enough. He was a Pokémon born to fight, and now he could do so on even ground with most of the Pokémon world. Kanzo looked over his arms, rotating them and inspecting them. The rips in his arms were evenly spaced, almost as if his body had been built to rip where it had. It was painful, but Kanzo was built for pain and tough training. He shook out his arms, not thinking, and got flecks of blood on Kaname.

"Ahh!? Hey, stop that! It's disgusting!" she yelled, holding up the Power-Save belt to shield herself.

"S... Sorry! Heh heh..." said Kanzo, still winded. He took the belt from Kaname, stepping into the spandex and adjusting the belt.

"Hold still," said Kaname, holding out her stubby hands and closing her eyes. With a Heal Pulse, she rejuvenated Kanzo, strangely unable to heal his arms. Before she could ask about it, Kanzo thanked her, regaining his breath, and suggested they continue forward for the day. After a long while, near sunset, Kanzo and Kaname reached the other side of the final mountain. Before them, out of the trees, laid a long and wide plain. In the distance, a beach could be seen. Kanzo and Kaname stayed the night in the forest, deciding to leave the treeline in the morning...

* * *

Event 5: A Different Opinion coming soon...

* * *

Author Note: Since no one's said anything about the length of my events, I'm assuming 4-5 pages is fine. I'm trying to limit myself, as I said, to avoid overloading readers. I'll be editing this fanfic and Twin Humanities (my Dark Souls fic) with proper chapter titles when FFN updates. Right now it's buggy, so I can't change titles without reuploading chapters...


	6. Event 5: A Different Opinion

Event 5: A Different Opinion

The sun rose and Kaname woke to Kanzo's shifting footsteps in the grass. He'd been up all night, training. Finally a Machoke, Kanzo wanted to make sure he could still control his body properly. He'd tried moving with and without his Power-Save belt. With it, moving was easier to control, but he couldn't bring out his full power. Without it, he moved much faster than he was used to, overextending and stretching in odd ways that would be harmful over a long period of time. Moving without the belt would require more training than he'd ever done in his life, so, naturally, he decided to make it his mission to learn to live without it. If it weren't for Gengar and Golurk, he wouldn't have the belt at all. For that reason it seemed only logical to learn to fight with and without it. For that exact purpose, Kanzo and Kaname halted their journey at the edge of the forest beyond the mountains.

As Kanzo trained his body, Kaname trained her mind. Since evolving, she'd been able to control her Psychic abilities much better. She was capable of teleporting very short distances now, as well as manipulating more than one thing at a time with her mind. She could lift much heavier things as well, to the point that she could hold up Kanzo for a few seconds. Aside from the brief training they'd received from the Ghost Pokémon, neither of them had any example to follow. With practical results alone deciding their success, the two continued to better themselves. For several days, the Kanzo and Kaname did not emerge from the forest, intent on being ready for anything...

* * *

"ヤミカラス、見回してくれ. 俺達は待ってろよ. 行け!" said a trainer, sending his Murkrow to scout ahead. The bird Pokémon took off, flying in the direction of the forest from their camp on the plains. As Murkrow flew, its sharp eyes surveying the scene ahead and below, it spotted two Pokémon eating. If they were eating, it meant more food would be near. A thin river coming from the mountains was also in sight. With no cities near, Murkrow thought it best to ask the two Pokémon which way to go. It pitched into a dive and aimed for a tree above them.

"Pardon me," it said in a refined tone, perching on a branch.

Kanzo and Kaname looked up at it, Kanzo with his mouth full and Kaname in the middle of a bite into a berry.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you, but I have a few questions pertaining to the surrounding area. Would you mind helping I and my fellows?"

Kanzo swallowed hard, looking at Kaname. She lowered the berry from her mouth and they both nodded, skeptical.

"Many thanks. You seem to have gathered food, so I assume there is more in the area. I have also spotted a river not far to the south. My first question is as to where the nearest human settlement is?"

"Last time we passed a human city was back beyond the mountains. You might be able to see it if you could see the river before you got here," said Kanzo. He stood, still wary.

"Ahh, thanks you. I understand. My second question is whether you could possibly wait for me to return with my friends, as it is not just myself that requires food."

"We can wait. We don't have a plan on when to leave here, but I think it can wait until tomorrow," said Kaname. Kanzo nodded in agreement. His father had taught him to always be helpful if he could.

"My humblest gratitude. I shall return before noon with my fellows. Until then," said the Murkrow, taking off and flying back out over the plains. The trees were think enough where Kanzo and Kaname were that they couldn't see or be seen from the plains, which was the plan. However, it had set them up for their biggest surprise yet. Murkrow flew back to where his trainer and other Pokémon waited, landing just ahead to signal they needed to follow and waiting for them to get ready. Once his trainer and the other Pokémon were up, Murkrow took off again. The trainer returned all his Pokémon to their Pokéballs, save for his Dodrio, which he rode to keep up with Murkrow. Murkrow flew back into the forest, flying below the branches of trees to stay in his trainer's view.

* * *

Murkrow flew ahead slightly, landing on a branch. He looked down at Kanzo and Kaname, who had once again been training to pass the time. Kanzo's Power-Save belt was off, resting near where Kaname sat, stones circling her body.

"Pardon me, once again," said Murkrow, announcing his presence. "My fellows will be here in just a moment. Here they come now, in fact."

As Murkrow spoke, his squawking unintelligible to his trainer, the Dodrio arrived with the human on its back. Kaname dropped the stones around her head in shock, and was quickly scooped up by Kanzo as he jumped back to the other side of the small clearing. The look on Kanzo's face was a move he didn't know he had, Scary Face, which made both the Dodrio and Murkrow shiver. He put Kaname down and she got behind him, focusing on a larger stone nearby, ready to throw it in an attempt to defend.

"W-What's gotten into you?! Please! Stop making that face, it's hideous!" chirped Murkrow, holding his place in the hopes he would be understood.

"え～!ゴーリキーか?! あと、ベルトを使わな事できるな!" said the trainer, looking from the Power-Save belt back to Kanzo. He was a Machoke who was learning to live without his Power-Save belt, something that didn't normally happen. A Machoke able to fight without nearly killing itself without the belt would be incredibly powerful and useful. To top it off, A Kirlia hid behind him, an extreme rarity outside of Hoenn.

"Trainer wants to fight?" said one of Dodrio's heads to another.

"Fight...? Man..." said the other.

"Quit yapping! They've got food, damn it!" said the third.

"Please, all of you calm down!" squawked Murkrow. "We need your help, it's true, but I believe my trainer wishes to fight with you. He's ventured very far in search of new Pokémon and has only found one or two who did not flee!"

Murkrow turned to his trainer and spoke, horribly. "ご飯! ご飯!"

"ご飯と言ったけど、そのゴーリキーをキャプチャの後に俺達を手伝うだろ?"

"Oh, my. Please understand, he's not a bad human, he's-"

"What human isn't bad?! They took away Kaname's sister! _They stole my father from me!_" roared Kanzo, punching the tree next to him. The section he hit splintered and the tree fell as if it would land on him. Kanzo raised one hand, caught the tree, and threw the entire thing at the trainer and his Pokémon.

"やばっ!" said the trainer, hitting Dodrio on its sides, the signal to jump. Dodrio jumped over the flying tree and it slammed into the trees behind it.

"そういうことか?! ならいい!" said the trainer.

"平和! 平和!" pleaded Murkrow. "Please, cease Machoke! You'll only provoke him!"

"So what?! I refuse to help a human!" yelled Kanzo, his right arm throbbing in pain. He'd put too much in his punch. The Power-Save belt was in the clearing, but it was out of his reach for now. Unless he could find a way to get in close and reach it, he'd never make it out. His father had taken his eyes off the human he'd fought once and been captured. Kanzo wouldn't allow it to happen to himself. He'd fail to save his father, he'd fail to protect Kaname, he'd fail in his journey. And worst, he'd fail himself.

"Kaname, we can't run. You saw how fast that bird thing is. On top of that, he's in our way. I'm gonna fight! You in, or do you think you should hide?" said Kanzo, always looking at the trainer.

"And _leave_ you!? Who do you think I am?! How could you even suggest that?!" said Kaname, already frightened and now angry too.

"Sorry... I'm just worried," said Kanzo.

"Well worry about yourself! Want me to try and get your belt?"

"Can you reach it?"

"I can try," said Kaname, closing her eyes. She stopped shaking, clearing her mind. She'd gotten very good at it, Kanzo noticed, to be able to do so in such a dire situation. Sure enough, the Power-Save belt rose up a few centimeters and zipped toward them, sliding through the grass at Kanzo's feet. Kanzo bent to pick it up without looking down, watching the trainer as he drew a Pokéball. As the trainer released his first choice, Kanzo put the belt back on. He didn't have time to worry about restraining himself. He was close to not needing it, but uncertainty kills.

* * *

"ゴローニャ、行け!" yelled the trainer, throwing the Pokéball. A Golem appeared from within the ball in a flash of light. Kanzo had only ever seen one Golem, his father's friend from the mountain near where they'd lived. They were heavy, could hide in their thick shells, and were very strong for having such short arms.

"Hoho! A Machoke! This'll be fun!" said the Golem, swaying left and right a little in anticipation. It didn't move, waiting for its trainer's command.

Kanzo stepped forward, planting his feet. He remembered his father's fight with the Rhydon. If he wasn't careful, this fight would be the same. And Kanzo was much younger and more inexperienced than his father had been. It was a disadvantage, but at the same time it meant he would try new things, which might lead to victory. Kanzo noted his distance from the trainer and his Dodrio, the location of Murkrow, and prepared to fight. He'd have to keep far enough away from the trainer as well as keep an eye on him. The trainer gave a command and Golem rushed in, the ground rumbling with its heavy steps. Kanzo lowered his stance, ready. As the Golem reached him, ready to slam into him, Kanzo grabbed both of Golem's outstretched hands and rolled back. The two went right over Kaname's head, rolled, and Golem went soaring into a boulder. The boulder was smashed to dust by Golem, who landed and had to pull inside his shell to right himself. Golem looked angry, but had landed flat, which meant plenty of aches and pains. The trainer yelled another command and Golem rushed forward, lifted a chunk of the boulder he'd smashed and threw it. Kanzo, keeping the trainer to his right and in his view and Golem to his left, punched through the rock, his head snapping back to the trainer.

"頭がいいな," said the trainer, his voice something like praise or admiration. He still thought Kanzo would be his, and that fact angered Kanzo even more.

"Kaname, I need your help. I'm gonna remove the belt the first chance I get. When I do, I need you to heal me. And I might need more help after if I go too far. I don't have this mastered yet, alright?"

"I'll get out of sight and be ready. But I'll be in the trees, so be careful," answered Kaname.

"Thanks..." said Kanzo, sounding like someone resolved to their fate but ready to deny it.

Golem charged in again, pulled into his shell, and continued forward in a roll. Kanzo ran forward, jumped, and used Golem as a vault to flip over. Kanzo landed on his feet, spun, and quickly undid his belt, jumping out of the spandex. He threw it up and it zipped into a nearby tree, where Kaname must have teleported to while he was busy. As soon as it was out of sight, Kanzo felt revitalized, thanks to Kaname's Heal Pulse. Kanzo flexed, trying to get the feel of his change in power. Golem was at it again, coming forward in another roll. Kanzo used Focus Energy, then drew his fist back for Dynamic Punch. Golem, heedless of his surroundings, barreled forward right into the devastating attack. Dodrio had to leap aside as Golem crashed through a tree. Kanzo hadn't moved, but his right arm was leaking blood after taking such a hit. Kaname had to rest between Heal Pulse uses, so he'd have to deal with it. Golem, however, was out of the fight. The trainer cursed his poor strategy, recalling Golem and throwing another Pokémon out. This time it was a Gabite, and it seemed much more well trained.

"Careful, Gabite! This is no normal Machoke!" chirped Murkrow, still up in the tree.

"Shut it. Annoying bird," said Gabite, never looking away from Kanzo.

"I don't care who you are," it said, talking to Kanzo, "Even if you manage to beat me, my trainer's still got Enki. And nobody beats Enki."

"Whatever it is, I can't lose. I won't be forced to work for a human! I have to save my father! Either surrender or get over here so I can tie you in a knot!" responded Kanzo, using Scary Face again.

"Work for him?! You kidding me? This guy saved my life! I don't work for him. I fight because I know he'd never do me wrong. I think you've got the wrong idea, here."

"Shut up! You can't change my mind! I watched a human capture my father! I saw how brutal he and his Pokémon fought! And it's not just me, Kaname's sister was taken too! I'm in this to save my father, and her sister! So I don't care if you have the one good human out of all of them, I can't go with him even if I wanted to. I can't abandon Pokémon in need. My father would do the same for me..."

By now Gabite had been ignoring his trainers commands, though the trainer knew enough to wait for them to stop talking. He couldn't understand what they said, but he could see it was an argument. After the first one or two ignored commands, he'd just waited and watched his Gabite, ready to trust his Pokémon.

"Then this fight is over," said Gabite. The Gabite turned to Murkrow. "You tell him. I can't speak to him. Guess you're useful for something after all..."

Murkrow huffed, a bit insulted but used to Gabite's grudging acceptance.

"父! 助けないと! 助!" squawked Murkrow, struggling with the longer expression.

"え? 誰の? ゴーリキーの?! なるほど... だからその喧嘩があったな? ガバイト、よくできたぞ. 戻れ," said the trainer, calming down.

"If you tell us more, maybe my trainer will help you," said Gabite.

"The human who stole my father had a red symbol on their chest. They had a Rhydon too. It was north of Silver Mountain," said Kanzo.

"What symbol? Draw it somewhere."

"Kaname! Come here," said Kanzo. Kaname promptly popped out of thin air in a pink flash of light beside him. She was holding his belt. Kanzo took the belt and and held it up, putting his finger on the P and making a line back and forth, symbolizing an R.

"No way... Team Rocket stole your father!?" said Gabite.

"ロケット団! 誘拐!" said Murkrow, already translating.

The trainers face changed instantly. While he began his own personal rant, Gabite thanked Kanzo and returned to his trainer. Kaname handed Kanzo his Power-Save belt, which he put back on, and healed him. Her healing only took care of wounds, and because she'd healed and teleported and already trained, both of them were exhausted. Leaving the forest would have to wait again. Murkrow flew off somewhere with Dodrio on orders from their trainer, who stayed behind a moment.

"あのな、頑張ってゴーリキー. また会いたい、将来. カルリアも頑張って. さよなら..." said the trainer. He knew they couldn't understand, but he made eye contact with Kanzo first, then Kaname at the end. He seemed saddened to leave them behind, but he also seemed to know it was something that he had to do.

"That purple dragon was right," said Kaname.

"The Murkrow called him Gabite. Might have been a name," said Kanzo.

"That human is genuinely concerned. And I think he wants to see us again," she said, looking at the trainer but talking to Kanzo. The trainer kept eye contact with her, curious but staying away from them. When she stopped talking, the trainer seemed to get an idea, pulling out a different Pokéball, one with a small flame on it. Out of the ball, in a flash of light, emerged a Charmeleon. The human put a hand on Charmeleon's shoulder, turning it to show it something on his wrist. The Charmeleon nodded, obviously understanding everything even if he was unable to respond. Charmeleon turned to face Kanzo and Kaname.

"My trainer calls me Enki, but I am a Charmeleon. I was his first Pokémon. My trainer has asked that I tell you about the tournament he wishes to fight in, years from now. Once he enters, he will participate every year until and after he wins. It is at relative center of the human settlements in this region, at a place called Indigo Plateau. It is on the southern face of Silver Mountain, in the middle of every summer. He didn't tell me why we aren't fighting you, but I assume he wishes you the best. Guess I'll see you again at the Indigo Plateau."

"Wait! Indigo Plateau. If that's near Silver Mountain, what do you know about Team Rocket! Gabite said they're the one's who took my father," said Kanzo.

"If you're looking for Team Rocket, they have a base in Celadon City. It's a human city, but you might be able to sneak in at night. My trainer took me and a few others in to save someone, but we had to run away after. I can't imagine just two Pokémon going in there and coming out with a third, but I guess you won't have any other choice... Good luck. And don't get caught. Last thing I want is to end up fighting you against your will."

"Right... Thanks for all the help... We're gonna rest here... We'll probably see you again someday..." said Kaname.

"Goodbye, then," said Charmeleon, turning back to his trainer. His trainer recalled him, dipped his head to Kanzo and Kaname, then walked into the trees in the direction of the river, where he'd sent his Dodrio and Murkrow...

* * *

Kanzo and Kaname found food and rested through the night, talking about their experiences that day and trying to make new plans. By the next day, however, the two were ready to go. Heading out into the plains and making their way to the beach. The ocean, their next obstacle, lay on the horizon as the two went to sleep that night, near a small lake. It was the only other water near the ocean, and they'd been told to find a cave near the water for passage across the ocean. Resolving to look in the morning, the two slept...

* * *

Event 6: Taming The Beast coming soon...


	7. Event 6: Taming The Beast

Event 6: Taming The Beast

* * *

Kanzo and Kaname were woken by a flopping sound and a low voice calling for help. As Kanzo sat up, scratching between the three ridges on his head, Kaname went to the side of the lake they'd camped near to see what was wrong. A Magikarp had jumped out of the lake and was flopping around in the grass. Kaname picked it up from a distance with her Psychic and placed it back in the water. Because of its size, she hadn't wanted to get close and risk getting hurt. After a few moments, the Magikarp came to the surface of the lake. Kanzo walked over next to Kaname in time to hear what the Magikarp had to say.

"Thaaanks..." said Magikarp, slowly like the Quagsire they'd met had.

"Not a problem," said Kaname.

"You two aren't from around here are you," said Magikarp, still slowly, but not nearly as slow as Quagsire.

"No," said Kanzo, "We're actually traveling. We need to cross the ocean, though. Do you know about any caves near here?"

"Sorry," said Magikarp, "But I can't leave the lake. My trainer left me here since I wouldn't evolve like she wanted. I've never seen a cave around here."

"That's awful!" said Kaname. "Can you live in the ocean? We could take you."

"I've been in worse water than salt water, so I suppose... But how would you do that?" asked the Magikarp.

"The same way I put you in the lake. You're not too heavy, so I should be able to carry you just fine. Unless you want to, Kanzo?"

"As much as I hate to sound like this, he's not heavy enough to consider it training for me. On the other hand, you've never trained with anything that big for that long, so you should try it," answered Kanzo, trying to look and sound as humble as possible despite his words.

"No, you're right. It didn't sound as bad as you think. I'll try it," said Kaname, looking back at Magikarp. The big fish rose out of the water, surrounded by a faint pink light.

"Shall we?" asked Kaname.

"Sure. Let me know if you need a break," said Kanzo.

"Thank you both... Really..." said Magikarp, quietly, sounding sad and grateful.

The walk to the beach took until just after noon, and Kaname finally set Magikarp into the shallow water. Kanzo was amazed by the sight of the ocean, it being his first time seeing one.

"There you are," said Kaname. "I bet it'll be much better having freedom in the ocean than being stuck in that lake."

"Sorry I can't do anything in return... I'm not big enough for both of you to ride," said Magikarp.

"Well, wait, are you strong enough to carry Kaname and a bag or something?" asked Kanzo.

"I could try..." answered Magikarp.

"Then I have an idea. Kaname, stay with him. I'm going to go find some food. We might have a way across."

"What about you?" asked Kaname.

"I can swim. I don't cramp or get tired from physical action, remember? Only using intense moves tires me out. Now I'll be back soon, just wait here."

* * *

Kanzo found several places where Lum berries and Pinap berries were growing. He worked to pick them, keeping them in view in case someone came around to steal them. One bunch of Lum berries was growing near a strange rock, but Kanzo saw no Pokémon near, so he approached to pick the last of what he and Kaname would need. When he reached for the berries, he paused a moment. The strange rock next to him had shifted, one of the round holes in it turning pale yellow. A Pokémon's head poked out of the hole, several limbs coming out of other ones.

"Could you leave that be?" said the Pokémon, looking bored and speaking slowly like Magikarp.

"I'm sorry, is this yours?" asked Kanzo, looking down at the odd Pokémon.

"Yes," said the Pokémon, "Please don't take it away... Moving somewhere new would take very long..."

"Is it hard to move?" asked Kanzo.

"Oh, no... It's just easier to stay. I'm a Shuckle, you see. My moldering shell here is very heavy for me. I was lucky to find this berry bush here. Now I can live in peace with all the food I need."

"Have you been here long?" asked Kanzo.

"I don't know. It doesn't matter. I have food, shelter, and a relaxing background noise. If this shell gets too small, there are other rocks nearby."

"Do you know if there are any caves near here?" asked Kanzo, in case his plan didn't work.

"Oh, yes. There's one. It was my old home until the berry bushes at the entrance died. It should be around somewhere."

"Do you remember where?"

"Nope."

"But you know there's a cave?"

"Yup."

"Alright, then. Well, thanks for the help anyway," said Kanzo.

"Wait," said Shuckle.

Kanzo turned around to listen.

"You seem too mobile. Perhaps, one day soon, you should find a berry bush and settle down. Not everything can be discovered by moving. Sometimes you should look inside for new things..."

Kanzo was confused by what Shuckle was saying, but nodded to show he'd heard and left.

Carrying what he'd gathered Kanzo walked back down the beach to meet Kaname and Magikarp. On the way, Kanzo found a different berry plant he'd missed. It was a Watmel berry plant with one berry on it. It was too big to bring back, but it had something else Kanzo needed. The plant had very large and tough leaves. Kanzo pulled off the largest leaf, big enough to cover his chest, and placed the berries inside it. Grabbing it by the edges and using the stem as a tie, Kanzo packed all the berries into a natural bag, something his father had done before. Kanzo returned to Kaname and Magikarp, Shuckle's odd point of view stuck in his head.

"Well, here's our food for the journey. It should last us a few days if we only eat what we need. Will it take that long, Kaname?" asked Kanzo.

"Well, on Lapras it took just one night. It might take more than that. But if that leaf is full of food, we should be fine," said Kaname.

"So, let's give it a shot," said Kanzo, tying the leaf by its stem to one of the three barbs on Magikarp's back. Kaname walked into the shallow water and climbed onto Magikarp's back. Magikarp flailed a bit to move backwards and into deeper water, keeping his back above the surface. He tried swimming out to sea, but quickly began to grow tired from the effort, and started to sink from the extra weight.

"Magikarp?!" said Kaname, noticing the water growing closer fast. Magikarp was underwater and couldn't answer. It was all he could do just turn around and try to swim back before he dropped Kaname and the berries.

"Hang on!" yelled out Kanzo so they could hear, rushing into the water and swimming out to meet them. The water was up to Kanzo's neck, but he was able to hold up Magikarp and help it back to shore. Kanzo got out of the water and flexed his arms, the salt water stinging his exposed muscles.

"Well... That's not going to work," he said, more annoyed than in pain.

Kaname climbed off Magikarp and brought the leaf full of berries to the sand with Psychic, heaving a sigh of dissatisfaction.

"Guess we need to find another plan, huh?" she said, sitting next to the leaf.

Magikarp could only blow bubbles. He was disappointed in himself. He'd lost a trainer because of his weakness and now he'd lose friendship with Pokémon that had helped him and expected nothing in return. He was depressed. Disheartened. And a bit angry about it. Why, after all this time, was he still useless? What was wrong with him? The more Magikarp thought about all the misfortune he'd encountered because of his weakness, the angrier he got. Soon there was nothing but sea foam coming out of his mouth, he was blowing bubbles so furiously. It made a loud and strange noise, so Kanzo and Kaname looked over at him in time to see his scales turning blue and his eyes grow more livid and more livid. A crest was beginning to jut out from between his eyes, fangs were growing in his mouth, and he began to thrash about in fury and growing pain. Instead of blowing bubbles, now he was gnashing his teeth and beginning to swell up. It was the evolution of a Magikarp into Gyarados.

* * *

"Kanzo, we need to get back! Help me with this!" said Kaname, motioning to the leaf and standing up.

"What's going on with him!?"

"It's his evolution! I've seen it once before when I was very little! We need to back up, hurry!"

"Right!" said Kanzo, running over and picking up the leaf bundle and Kaname, much to her surprise, then running back up the beach.

Gyarados continued to grow, roar, and thrash about in the shallow water and sand. With all the thrashing Gyarados was doing, the ground was starting to shake and sand was flying everywhere. The bigger Gyarados got, the worse his tantrum became. When Gyarados stopped growing at last, he was well over six meters long, as thick as an old tree, and more then six times heavier than Kanzo. The huge Pokémon flopped to the sand and breathed heavily, the exertion and sudden changes taking their toll.

"That... Was intense..." said Kanzo, setting down Kaname.

"Now we need to see if he even remembers us..." said Kaname.

"What? Why?!" asked Kanzo, shocked and confused.

"Well, last time I saw this, it took a big argument and a fight with three big Pokémon just to get Gyarados to get control of itself."

"So, you think we might have to do that this time?"

"I don't think you can," said Kaname, looking at Gyarados warily.

"Well, if I don't try, then what? I know we just met him, but what if he just leaves and goes nuts? Or what if he goes back to the lake and hurts someone? We can't just leave him like this, so I'm going over there. You can stay with the food or cover me, whatever you want, but knowing that I'm not just going to leave him alone!"

Kanzo set down the leaf bundle and ran back onto the beach. As he approached, Gyarados noticed him and rolled over. By undulating his body, Gyarados was able to come upright like a snake ready to strike.

"Gyarados!? Remember me? It's Kanzo! Kaname and I brought you to the oc- _Whoa!_"

Gyarados had closed his mouth and opened it with a Hyper Beam. Kanzo dodged to the side and the sand where he'd been standing exploded into dust and shards of glass. Gyarados roared in anger from missing and charged forward, moving like the Chinese dragon it resembled. Kanzo stood his ground, raised his hands, and caught Gyarados' charge by the huge fangs in his mouth. Kanzo slid backwards in the sand, holding the huge fangs for dear life until Gyarados lost momentum.

"_Gyarados!?_ Snap out of it! We didn't help you to have to fight you, damn it!" yelled Kanzo, hopping back to avoid getting crushed in Gyarados' mouth, then jumping up to hold its nose down. Gyarados' huge eyes were now right in front of him, blank with rage.

"_Listen to me!_"

Gyarados shook his head, flinging Kanzo to the right. Kanzo rolled in the sand and grass, keeping his footing. It took Gyarados a second to turn, so Kanzo quickly took of his Power-Save belt. Kaname could see Kanzo was ready to risk crippling himself to stop Gyarados, so she ran over nearby, sat down, and started focusing. Without knowing it, she could use Calm Mind, and she was preparing to hold down something bigger than she'd ever manipulated before. In reaction to her gathering strength, grains of sand began to rise around her. Kanzo fought on, dodging and redirecting Gyarados. He remained undamaged until he tried to take advantage of Gyarados' slow turns on land. Kanzo tried to get behind Gyarados and get on its back. As he rounded to the side, Gyarados whipped his tail around and slammed Kanzo into the sand with a blow that would have crushed a Machop. Gyarados lifted his tail to attack again, most likely killing Kanzo, but it suddenly couldn't move. Kaname was focusing everything she had into immobilizing Gyarados. The energy was so great there was a visible spark between her head and Gyarados' hide. It was thin, but it was there, and it was the only thing keeping Kanzo from being smashed flat. Kanzo, both arms bleeding and his back shredded from the sand, stood up and gritted his teeth against the pain. He yelled up at Gyarados.

"Get it together! You wanted to help us in return, this is your chance! You're a huge Water Pokémon now! You're not weak anymore! Trust me, I know the feeling! Being useless. Standing by and letting others do the important things. I know how you felt! But unlike me, you just got your wish in the span of minutes! I've got years left before I reach my goal! Kaname saved you from a life spent in the same place for years! She gave you freedom! Now you're strong enough to help both of us! Are you really going to _throw that away?!_"

Gyarados stared down at him, immobile, with his red irides. It looked right, away from the ocean, in the direction of the lake. Something in its eyes changed, somewhere inside remembering its trainer and the months spent abandoned, then finally the past few hours. Gyarados could feel the influence of Kaname, could see Kanzo in pain trying to reach him, and was able to focus long enough to calm down. Kaname felt the massive sea serpent relax in her mind and let it go. She fell back in the sand, going from sitting to laying on her back in exhaustion. Kanzo hit the sand on one knee, using his left arm to balance. Gyarados looked back at Kaname, passed out, and looked back to Kanzo, spent and bleeding, and knew from that moment he would control himself...

* * *

Kaname woke and ate some of the food Kanzo collected, regaining her strength enough to heal Kanzo. Gyarados didn't talk much anymore, his voice now little more than growling and hard to understand. His new tall mouth didn't make it any easier. He and Kanzo were able to get Kaname onto Gyarados' back along with the berries, and finally set off. Kanzo had his Power-Save belt back on, and he rested with Kaname while Gyarados began their journey across the endless water. An unexpected end to an incredibly eventful day...

* * *

Event 7: Second Step coming soon...

* * *

Author Note: I wrote this listening to [C\S] Rise and Fall MEP on YouTube. It was intense, like Kanzo said. Hope you enjoyed, and I'll see you next time...


	8. Event 7: Second Step

Event 7: Second Step

* * *

"... Across so much water you will think it has stolen you from the world..." said Kanzo, quoting his father and looking around. He was sitting on the back of a Gyarados in the middle of the ocean. Kaname was asleep, having committed herself to healing Gyarados when she could during the trip. Gyarados looked back out of the corner of one eye, unable to turn far or risk losing direction. Ever westward, Gyarados had been swimming straight for going on twelve hours nonstop. A Lapras might be built for long sea ferrying voyages, but Gyarados was meant to fight and endure. In his new form, he no longer fed on small creatures no one would miss; Gyarados wanted a fresh catch of his own, and if not for the friends on his back, he'd have dove into the ocean for one long ago. Kanzo could pop a berry to stave of his hunger, but after the Watmel berry hours ago, Gyarados had realized they were too small for him. Good for a treat maybe, but no food for a sea serpent.

"Sleep..." growled Gyarados, talking to Kanzo.

"And leave you up alone after you're doing this for us? I think I'll stay up," said Kanzo.

Gyarados huffed, focusing on maintaining direction. Because of the two Pokémon on his back, just behind his head, he could only use half of his body swim. It took a lot of concentration and effort, but to Gyarados, it was worth it. Before meeting Kaname and Kanzo, his future had been hopeless, doomed to swim in circles in the same lake until the day he died. Not only had they taken him from the lake and given him the freedom of the ocean, but they had even been willing to fight him to get him to regain himself. To top it off he'd injured them in his rage, so if it meant a day straight of swimming to help repay them, Gyarados would do that and more. Hours trudged past until, at last, the sun peaked over the horizon behind them. Kanzo patted Gyarados' neck to get his attention.

"Sorry, bud, I gotta sleep, even for just a little while. Kaname's starting to stir, so I'll get her up instead. Wake me if something happens or we get close..."

Gyarados only tilted his head to look back before looking forward again. Kanzo got Kaname up to replace him and went to sleep, exhausted...

* * *

"Kanzo! Get up!" yelled Kaname.

"What?! What happened?!" said Kanzo, scrambling to get up and almost falling off Gyarados.

"Look!" said Kaname, pointing at the water, then to the front.

Kanzo looked down to see ferocious fish surrounding them. For a moment, Kanzo was a bit intimidated, until he noticed that they had no interest in messing with a Gyarados. They were swimming with Gyarados, and as Kanzo shifted his gaze ahead he saw what Kaname had pointed at second. An island, not a massive one, but one with a human building in plain sight. It was the first landmark Kaname had warned them about. Once they passed it, land would be more and more frequent until the mainland.

"How much longer, do you think?" asked Kanzo.

"I was awake for this part of the trip, and it didn't last until night, so not long at all now!" said Kaname, excited. The region was her home, and it had to have been nearly two years since she'd left.

"I can't believe we made it... And the Pokémon here are so different!" said Kanzo, looking at the school of Carvanha around them and a few Wingull in the sky above.

Gyarados took them passed the smaller island, all the while his passengers looked here and there, obviously excited. Several of the Wingull landed on Gyarados' exposed back, so Kaname and Kanzo launched into questions. They asked which way to go for the main island, and where to go from there to find Mt. Chimney. The jumpy little Pokémon answered as best they could, which wasn't so well since they mainly stayed over the ocean. Hours past, and when Gyarados finally reached the main island the cliffs were too sheer for Kanzo and Kaname to disembark. Gyarados began swimming parallel to the cliffs, heading north. The further north they went the closer the cliffs got to the sea.

"I think we left further south. I don't recognize any of this..." said Kaname, looking around.

"Well, this is the place, right?" asked Kanzo.

"I'm pretty sure... The Pokémon are the same. But I can't see the smoke from Mt. Chimney, and we didn't pass a coral reef."

"A what?" said Kanzo, unfamiliar with the term.

"It's a living sea wall thing... Corsola?" said Kaname.

"I... Think I've heard of those..." said Kanzo.

"Anyway, this is definitely Hoenn, just not where I left from," said Kaname.

Gyarados turned back slightly. "Opening," it growled out.

"In the cliffs? Great! Maybe we'll find a way to get on land. Sorry about all the trouble," said Kaname.

Gyarados just shook his head, dismissing the matter. It was nothing to him.

* * *

Sure enough, following the wide opening, there were shallow waters and the ground lowered to a safe point. However, straight ahead was a mountain, jutting from the huge lake surrounding it. In the middle of a massive lake, the mountain wasn't massive or overly impressive, but it had an ominous feel to it.

"That's... Not Mt. Chimney..." said Kaname.

"Well it's our stop. Or at least around here is. How about it, Gyarados?" said Kanzo.

Gyarados swam toward the southern shore of the lake until the ground brushed against his belly. He laid his head down, straightening out and resting. Kanzo grabbed the huge leaf and the few berries left inside it and slid down off Gyarados into the knee-deep water. Kaname floated down gracefully, partially supporting herself with her psychic ability. Kanzo walked up near Gyarados' head, holding up the leaf.

"The rest is yours, bud. I'll grab some more here in a minute, since we all need to eat and this isn't enough for you. We'll stick around until you're rested and ready to go, then we'll part ways. Sound good?"

Gyarados' tongue snaked out of his closed mouth and took the entire leaf bundle. Kanzo took it as agreement.

"Gimme a hand, Kaname, I'm stiff from sitting around so long," said Kanzo, approaching the nearest tree and climbing it for food.

Kaname helped by picking the unreachable berries while Kanzo took the ones on stronger branches that would support his weight. The two were practiced by now, and soon they had a large stash waiting with Gyarados. About the fourth time they went into the trees for more, Kaname pointed out a large green berry with dark green spots, hanging by some vines from a tree. It was hanging low enough that Kanzo could reach it, so he walked over to it to get it. As he stretched out his hands, however, the berry split open and tried to bite him.

"Whoa!" said Kanzo, taking a step back and preparing to punch the thing.

"What _are _you _doing_?!" demanded the berry, now recognized as a Pokémon.

"We thought you were food!" said Kaname.

"I'm a Carnivine, not a berry! Honestly, I... Hang on. You. You're not from here either!"

"Me?" said Kanzo.

"Yes!" said the Carnivine, dropping gracefully from the tree and supporting itself on many vines for feet.

"I was abandoned on this island by my trainer! How did you get here!? Is there a way back to the mainland?!"

"Whoa, whoa, easy," said Kanzo. "We had a friend ferry us here. There's supposed to be a Pokémon to the south that makes trips back and forth. That's all I've got for ya."

Carnivine drooped visibly. "Oh... To the south, you say... At any rate, I'd like to at least meet the Pokémon who brought you here. I need an idea of what to look for."

"Sure, we were just gathering berries!" said Kaname.

Kanzo and Kaname lead the Carnivine back to Gyarados. Their pile of berries sat in the grass just away from the water. Gyarados spotted Carnivine and blew a puff of air out of his nose.

"See? You just need a- _HEY!_" said Kaname, turning to face Carnivine.

Carnivine had opened his huge mouth and chomped down on almost half of the pile of berries they'd collected, then turned to run back into the trees. Kaname almost attacked him before Kanzo stopped her.

"Wait! Do you really want those berries back?" said Kanzo, raising a brow.

Kaname stopped, got a blank look, then realized what he meant and made a face.

"No... You're right... But our food!" said Kaname. "We spent so much time on it..."

"Well, you and I can find more, but for now we'll have to deal with it. Gyarados needs to eat more than we do. You two stay here, I'm going after that Carnivine. Help Gyarados, get more food, I'll be back!" said Kanzo. He immediately bounded into the forest, his aching body starting to loosen up after sitting still for so long. Machoke weren't meant to be inactive so long. In no time at all, Kanzo spotted Carnivine and gained on the struggling Grass Pokémon. Carnivine hadn't even stopped to chew his catch yet, and his vine-legs couldn't move all that weight very quickly. Kanzo leapt right over Carnivine, standing in his way with fists raised. Carnivine skidded to a halt, leaning way over to avoid falling. Carnivine was instantly struck with fear, looking around for some way to escape.

"Chew, swallow, and enjoy it. It'll probably be the last time that mouth of yours works right," said Kanzo, holding his ground and waiting.

Carnivine did so, chewing and shaking bodily. Kanzo just stood by and waited; the food was already lost when Carnivine had slobbered all over it. Carnivine stopped chewing, ready to swallow the last of it, and eased to the right ever so slightly. He gulped down the chewed berries and extended a vine from his body to swing into a tree. But faster than Carnivine, Kanzo stepped forward and chopped a tensed hand down on that vine.

"Agh!" yelled Carnivine, flinching.

As Carnivine closed his eyes in that action, Kanzo slammed a fist into Carnivine's stomach. The odd Pokémon's small belly, under its massive head and mouth, was about the same size as Kanzo's balled fist. Carnivine didn't double over from the blow; he didn't have time. Instead, he was thrown back into a tree.

"Wait! Stop!..." said Carnivine, one leafy arm on his aching stomach and struggling to stand.

Kanzo just paused, still in his fighting stance.

"Please... I was just hungry... I'll help you find more!"

Still Kanzo said and did nothing.

Carnivine became even more unnerved, being stared down by a tough Fighting Pokémon.

"Nothing else?" asked Kanzo. "Because in my experience, those who act like children must be treated like children. And when a child steals, they must be punished. Children must be taught right from wrong."

Kanzo started walking forward, ready to fire off another blow.

"No! Please! I'll never do it again! I promise! Stop! _Stop!_" Carnivine cowered, inching away even knowing running would get him nowhere...

* * *

"Think that's enough to hold you over?" asked Kaname. She'd just brought back more berries for Gyarados, almost replacing what was stolen in one trip. Gyarados couldn't speak well after evolution, but Kaname could feel his swirling emotions. There was always a rage boiling under the surface, constantly suppressed by Gyarados' will, but Kaname also felt that Gyarados regretted having friends find him food.

"Hey... You helped us out a lot. We wouldn't have made it here if it wasn't for you, you know? Let us do a little to help you now," said Kaname. Gyarados was shocked a bit by Kaname's ability to read him so easily. He'd never heard of a Pokémon able to feel emotions, so he assumed she'd read his mind. After what Kaname said, Gyarados couldn't help but remember how she'd helped him in the first place by removing him from his lake as a Magikarp.

"Don't worry about it. Like I said, if this is enough for you, just take it and rest. Kanzo and I still need to find out where to go from here anyway."

Gyarados nodded, just a shift in his big head as it rested on the sand. Kaname lifted the entire pile of berries, bigger than she was, and carried it close to Gyarados. Gyarados undulated slightly, sliding forward and chomping down on the entire pile. It would probably be the sweetest treat of his life and the last time he'd ever eat so many berries, and Gyarados knew it. He and Kaname waited in silence after that for a short while, Kaname starting to doze off laying in the grass. When Kanzo finally returned from the forest, Carnivine was nowhere to be found.

"What happened?!" asked Kaname, sitting up.

"I knocked some sense into that thief and asked him if he knew anywhere we could get good directions. He said the Pokémon in that mountain out there in the lake would know their way around. I suppose if he was lying we could always just climb near the top and look around ourselves. From up there we might be able to see Mt. Chimney. That said," said Kanzo, pausing and looking at Gyarados. "We'd need your help again... Twice... It's entirely up to you, and we wouldn't want to leave right away anyway, but we can't get there without you."

Gyarados blew out a heavy breath from his nose and nodded. Kaname could sense from him that he was still willing to help however he could before parting ways.

"So, in that case, we need water and food, right?" said Kaname.

"Yeah... Like I said, don't drink the sea water or you might get sick. My dad told me it wasn't smart to drink from anywhere but lakes and rivers, and he's never been wrong before. Though, I'm not sure if this counts as a lake since we're so close to the ocean..."

* * *

Gyarados slid backwards into the water, opting to dive down to rest and let the water support more of his weight. Kanzo and Kaname headed into the forest again for the day, finding food for themselves and seeking out safe water. Kanzo and Kaname stayed under a tree for the night while Gyarados slept in the lake bottom.

Kaname sighed, just before the two went to sleep.

"What is it?" asked Kanzo, his eyes closed.

"All we got done today was food... I was expecting a more eventful arrival..."

"Well... I was too... But, think about it, we've taken our second step, and that's very important..."

"I guess..." said Kaname, still a bit down about it.

"Don't worry, I'm sure tomorrow will be better..." said Kanzo.

When Kaname didn't respond, Kanzo drifted off to sleep. Kaname laid awake a while, remembering her family and her first home on the island. When at last she fell asleep, the moon was high in the sky, full and bright...

* * *

Event 8: A Bitter Wind coming soon...


End file.
